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Tree House Stay in Nusa Penida: Complete Guide to Rumah Pohon
Thanks to Instagram, Nusa Penida — a small island southeast of Bali — has become a pilgrimage site for travel influencers in urgent need of their next viral shot. (And yes, that was my plan too.)
Beyond the turquoise water and dramatic coastal cliffs, there’s another iconic sight you’ve probably seen all over your feed: a tiny wooden house perched on a treetop, overlooking the ocean.
Known locally as “Rumah Pohon” (Indonesian for “tree house”), it’s one of the most popular and most searched locations in Nusa Penida.
Apparently, there are several tree-house hotels scattered in Nusa Penida. But this was a fact I only learned after my trip.
The most famous is Rumah Pohon Molenteng, located on the east coast, near the Thousand Island (Pulau Seribu) viewpoint and Atuh Beach.
This is the Instagram tree house, and the views really are that spectacular.
Because it’s the only one consistently featured online, I assumed it was the only tree house on the island.
This — coupled with the fact that there was only one search result for “Rumah Pohon” on Booking.com at the time — assured me that I had booked the one and only.
What I actually booked was Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian, which is perfectly fine in its own right, but much further inland and not at all what I expected.
Now, before anyone comes at me for not checking the photos on the booking site, I did. I just assumed the owner wasn’t an Instagram-level photographer, hence the less than glowing pictures. This was, admittedly, not my brightest moment.
Other tree house stays in Nusa Penida include:
- Eco-tourist Dreamstay Tree House (Suwehan)
- Gading Tree House (Jalan Pura Dalem)
- Penida Bambu Green Tree House
Best time to visit Nusa Penida
Timing can make or break your Nusa Penida experience. The dry season (April to October) is generally the best time to visit. Expect sunny days, calm seas, and perfect lighting for those cliffside shots.
Avoid the wet season (November to March), when heavy rains can make some of the island’s roads slippery and treacherous. That said, fewer tourists during the rainy months mean more privacy.
Pricing also fluctuates: peak months (July–August) tend to be pricier for accommodations like Rumah Pohon Molenteng.
How to get to Nusa Penida
Getting there is easier than you might think—but requires a bit of planning. Most travelers start from Bali, catching a fast ferry from Sanur or Padang Bai.
Once you arrive, local options include renting a scooter, hiring a private driver, or joining a small-group day tour with other travelers.
How to book a tree house in Nusa Penida
Booking a treehouse in Nusa Penida can be a little tricky for first timers, as availability is limited and not all platforms list the same properties. They don’t always appear if you search “treehouse” or “rumah pohon”.
So, I’ve listed the links here for you:
- Rumah Pohon Molenteng — There are only three houses in total, and considering how popular they are, it’s best to book early.
- Penida Bambu Green Tree House
- Rumah Pohon (Jalan Petinggian)
- Eco-tourist Dreamstay Tree House (Suwehan)
- Gading Tree House (Jalan Pura Dalem)
What to pack for a treehouse stay in Nusa Penida
Before you even think about aesthetics, pack for reality. You’re staying in a forest, so there’ll be a few things that you’ll be glad you brought:
- Insect repellent
- Power bank
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Snacks and resealable containers
- Reusable water bottle
- Toilet paper
- Toiletries
How to get to Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian
There’s no public transport in Nusa Penida, so you’ll need to either rent a scooter or hire a car with a driver. There are a number of scooter rental shops and drivers waiting for passengers at the harbor.
A word of caution: the roads are steep, rocky, and potholed at some parts, so only self-drive if you’re a highly skilled and experienced driver.
I wouldn’t recommend renting a scooter in Nusa Penida if you’ve only just learned to drive one.
Read: Taking Scooter Lessons in Bali (Suitable for Beginners)
My partner and I shared a car with another traveler we met on the ferry from Bali — an excellent decision for both cost and sanity.
After a half-day tour around the island, our driver drove us to Rumah Pohon. The journey was quite long (around 30 minutes or so from out last stop) and took us through winding roads up and down the hills.
Given the remote location and steep roads, travel insurance that covers rural travel and scooter use is worth considering.
Finally, he dropped us off at the treehouse parking area by the roadside. This is not where the treehouse is; you still have to hike a short distance to get there.
There is a signboard pointing the way and the trail is well-marked, so there’s no chance of getting lost. You’ll likely be greeted by two friendly dogs that will show you the way (don’t worry — they’re very well-behaved).
What to expect at Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian
Checking in
The entire place is run by one man who somehow manages to be the caretaker, receptionist, housekeeper, and cook.
Check-in was simple. We were served with welcome drinks that felt so refreshing after half a day baking under the hot sun.
Then, the host handed us our key, showed us around, and told us what time dinner and breakfast would be served.
The treehouse experience
There were a few tree houses, varying in height and sturdiness. Ours was the second highest, located close to (but not awkwardly close to) the shared bathrooms.
There was a small wooden gate at the landing of the stairs to keep the dogs out and a balcony with a bench to lounge on. Inside was a double bed with pillows, a bolster, a blanket, and a pair of clean towels.
The tree house shook with every little movement we made.
There was a small table and shelf for putting your stuff on, a mirror, a single light bulb to illuminate the entire room, and a fun-sized table fan doing its best in tropical conditions.
If you’ve got multiple devices to charge, you’re in luck because there’s more than one power socket on the wall, so you can charge your devices simultaneously without having to turn off the fan or light bulb.
Not gonna lie — the room was a little too warm for comfort, especially in the middle of the day during the hot season, and with such a teeny weeny fan. But you can keep the door and window open for extra ventilation.
The room doesn’t come with a mosquito net, but we didn’t have any issues. If you tend to attract mosquitoes like a magnet, bring some insect repellent just in case.
If the room is still a little too stuffy for you, you can sit on the balcony to enjoy the fresh air or chill out in the reception, which doubles as a dining area.
In a clearing between the tree houses and the reception, there’s a hammock, but during our visit, it seemed to have not been used for a long time. A colony of ants had made a nest on it.
Just before sunset, I climbed up another tree house, which was unoccupied and looked much smaller and more rickety than the rest. It was probably not meant for paying guests, but the host told me it was the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
It got dark very quickly in the forest. After dinner, we returned to our room, and — with nothing else to do — called it a night and switched off the light.
That’s when we heard the strange sound: loud, guttural squeaks that sometimes turned into eerie cackles.
We were fairly certain it was an animal, but we had never heard anything like it before. An owl? A toad? An injured boar? Not that we knew what any of those animals actually sounded like.
Or worse — could it be a kuntilanak?
The sound seemed to come from above. Peeking out from under our blankets, we cautiously scanned the room with our phone flashlights.
And there, on the roof beam, staring down at us with glistening, round eyes was a huge striped gecko. It was our first time seeing a Tokay gecko up close. Easily five times bigger than the common house lizards we were used to back home.
Being the wimpy city folks that we were, we quickly hid under the covers and whispered to each other. Does that thing bite? Should we just go to sleep and pretend it’s not there? Should we scream for help?
We chose to go to sleep, silently praying that the creature wouldn’t lose its footing and fall on us. It was a wonder we managed to doze off at all.
When my phone alarm woke me up for sunrise the next morning, the gecko was gone.
Facilities
The shared bathrooms are basic but clean, so as long as you bring your own toiletries, they do the job just fine.
There was WiFi on the property, but although our phones connected to it, there was no actual internet access, so it was as good as none. Think of it as enforced digital detox.
If you do want to venture out and explore, bike rentals and island tours can be arranged directly through the property.
Meals
Dinner and breakfast are included in the room rate.
Dinner was a packet of nasi goreng (fried rice) with chicken, egg, and crackers.
Breakfast options included instant noodles, biscuits, and some local pastries. Coffee and tea were available all day.
There are no shops nearby, so if you’re the type who needs lots of snacks to get by (like me), make sure you bring enough supplies and keep them in secure bags or containers. You’re literally in a forest — there will be bugs. And geckos.
Checking out
Checking out was a pleasant surprise for us.
After saying goodbye to the dogs, we discovered that we didn’t have to hike back to the parking area. Instead, the host took us to another side of the forest, where a zipline was waiting.
Yes. A zipline.
It took us straight back to the trailhead, where our pre-booked motorbike drivers were waiting to take us to the jetty for our next stop: Nusa Lembongan.
Strong contender for best checkout experience ever.
Is Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian worth It?
It’s important to remember that this is not a five-star glamping experience. Don’t expect a glamorous treetop villa with a four-poster bed, hot tub, and plasma TV.
Expect bugs, forest noises, and the occasional reptile cameo. So, bring insect repellent. And a sense of adventure.
If you’re looking for a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience in nature, and you’re okay trading comfort for character, this place delivers.
Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian vs Molenteng
Molenteng wins on views. Easily.
But Jalan Petinggian offers something Molenteng doesn’t: privacy.
Travel blogger Kristin from Be My Travel Muse noted that tourists regularly climbed up to her tree house at Molenteng just to take photos. David, the World Travel Guy also mentioned that it’s become more of a tourist trap now than a peaceful stay.
Last I checked, it was also four times as expensive.
If peace and solitude matter more to you than social media aesthetics, Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian is a compelling alternative.
The real highlight: the host
While the tree house itself was memorable, the true highlight was the host.
Warm and accommodating, he clearly took pride in keeping his guests happy. His hospitality is frequently mentioned in reviews, and deservedly so.
Meet this kind man and his two equally hospitable canine assistants by making your hotel reservation here.
“Rumah Pohon” Tree House (Jalan Petinggian)
Address: Jalan Petinggian, Nusapenida, Kutampi Kaler, Nusapenida, Kabupaten Klungkung, Bali 80771, Indonesia
Have you stayed in a treehouse before? Where was it? Share your experience in the comments below.
rumah pohon ni cantik sangat from above. well, Bali memang lawa dari segenap sudut.
Betul tu, Nik. Bali dan pulau2 sekitarnya memang cantik.
Cantik view dari rumah pohon ni. Bila baca rumah pohon Marina cari facility dia dulu terutamanya bathroom. Haha. Scary jugak dengar bunyi yanh tak best
Facility dia memang basic je, Marina. Anggap macam kita pegi camping je la. Back to nature. Kalau nak yang selesa sikit, kena cari rumah pohon yang stail glamping.
If that was me, I would have been stayed under the cover and will not be checking out the laughs. Let it be. Huhu. That’s one scary experience wei.
Hahaha. It was just a gecko. And there were two of us, so I had more courage than I would have had if I were alone.
alamak. yg scary part tu yg paling aida takotkan if stay sini ha ha ah ha 🙂
tapi tu la, view dari balcony tu, ya Allah, indah! saujana mata memandang. then, memang x pernah stay kat rumah atas pokok kan, so kalau la dpt kes ini umpama create memori baru.
mak aii! tinggi! ha ha ha ha aida ni satu hal = gayat! da naik, ntah ntah tak boleh turun dah, ummi 🙂
Hahaha, yang tinggi tu cuma rumah yang tak berpenghuni tu je, Aida. Tu saya saja2 je panjat, nak tengok sunset. Rumah pohon kitorang tak tinggi macam tu. Tapi kena bersedia la nak share rumah tu dengan serangga atau cicak. 😀
cantik pemandangan dari rumah pohon ni. waulupun facilities biasa2 je, tapi kalau saya sendiri tak kisah, sebab pengalaman2 mcm ni best 🙂 tak sabar bila boleh travel nnti 🙂
Memang best kan, Khairil, bila sesekali dapat pengalaman macam ni. Rasa macam adventure sangat. 😀
tak pernah lagi dok rumah atas pokok camni, memang teringin pi nusa penida ni, dulu pernah sampai ke bali je. moga ada rezeki nak ke sini
Lepas border buka nanti, cuba la, Bae. Nusa Penida ni memang cantik dan rasa lebih adventure daripada Bali.
Bestnya rumah pohon ni. Mesti sejuk kan? Bali ni dalam wishlist sebab tempat dia semua cantik2
Waktu siang, panas, Marsha. Dengan kipas cinonet tu. Haha.
Such a great experience right! Something so different from the staycation that we normally had during the trip.. I would love to try this too!
True, Kitkat. I always love trying unique accommodation and this is my first time staying in a tree house. 🙂
Memang ada ekk rumah atas pokok.. Siap ada letrik plak tu.. time malam mesti sejukk kan Ummi, boleh bayangkan sunyi sepinya dengan kicauan burung dan cengkerikk.. dan pagi kabus tebal lihat dr atas, nyamannyaaaa
Malam tu tak terasa sejuknya sis, sebab kitorang masing2 menyorok bawah selimut, takut cicak. 😀
Tetiba rasa gayat ! Tapikan…serius kalau dok atas tu tengok pemandangan sure ralit kan ?? Cam rasa takmo turun. Dan bila baca entry ni kan .. dah terasa hembusan bayu tu kat hidung..fresh !!
Ya, kak Sal. Pemandangan kat situ memang meralitkan, terutama sewaktu sunrise dan sunset. Tak tinggi sangat pun sebenarnya rumah pohon yang kami duduk tu. 🙂
Teringin nak ke sana juga. Tengok pemandangan pun cantik belaka. Mesti tenang kalau dapat bercuti kat sana kan. Bila lah dapat pergi merantau. Tak sabar!
Tenang sebab Nusa Penida ni belum lagi sepopular Bali, jadi tak ramai orang sangat. Cuma transport susah sikit la. Kena sewa & drive sendiri atau upah driver.
Ada berangan juga nak menginap di rumah pohon (tapi bukan di bali, dalam malaysia je). Tapi tak cukup yakin selamat tak bawak anak kecil sekali? Thanks umi share pasal rumah pohon. Seronok duduk atas pokok walaupun tak dapat view yg paling cantik, tapi pengalaman tu tetap berharga 🙂
Hmm.. kalau bawak anak kecik tu, saya tak berapa pasti, Nur. Tengok jenis rumah pohon la. Ada yang lebih mewah dan selesa, ala2 glamping. Kalau yg mcm ni, susah sikit kot. Nak kena hike lg, pastu kena perhati la budak2 tu, takut jatuh ke apa.
Oooh awesome Ummi! This may not have been the treehouse you expected from the pictures, but I really love the one you ended up in – plus you didn’t have to put up with crowds of influencers taking photos! 😀
I loooove that your stay finished with a zip line!
This looks like an amazing place to stay in the end.
p.s. did you think of a name for the gecko!?
True, Josy. It was an amazing experience in the end — the treehouse, the meals, the host, the zipline, even the gecko. Haha. No I haven’t thought of a name yet. Maybe ‘kuntilanak’ — after the Indonesian mythical creature that I initially thought it was. 😀
oh how I miss Bali now! Have not stayed at a treehouse before, that’s a wonderful experience to us
Yes, it would be a unique experience if you’ve never stayed in a treehouse before, Rane. 🙂
The views are certainly wonderful. Is there any access to the sea?
I am glad you enjoyed it – as for me, I am not sure if I could deal with bugs, the occasional nightly visiting gecko and, most of all, the lack of A/C.
Ah yes, the lack of A/C can be a bit of a problem, especially if you plan to stay in during the day. Perhaps you could check out the other treehouses — some of them look pretty modern.
The one I stayed at is not near the sea, but Rumah Pohon Molenteng (the popular one) does have a direct access to the beach.
This looks like such a cool experience! I have always wanted to stay in a tree house like accommodation and this one looks perfect! The ziplining at the end would be the perfect way to end a stay here.
Yup, it was a cool experience, Melissa. The ziplining was the perfect ending. I hope you’ll check it out when you go to Nusa Penida. 🙂
Wow this is really a authentic treehouse not those poshy poshy ones, hope to visit Bali again soon.
Exactly, Kelly. I don’t think I’d vibe with the poshy poshy ones, unless they don’t come with a poshy poshy price tag. 😉
Wowo…so special to enjoy a treehouse staycation, i wish to try too if have a chance in my future travel journeys. cheers, siennylovesdrawing
I hope you’ll get that chance to experience a treehouse staycation, Sienny. 🙂
Such a beautiful view! I’ve always wanted to experience living high up on a treehouse like this, probably can put in my bucket list. Just for that experience, siap dengar bunyi gecko lagi hehe nasib baik binatang bukan makhluk lagi satu errkkk!
Haha, tu la kan, nasib baik binatang, walaupun agak menakutkan juga la gecko tu, sebab kitorang tak pernah tengok gecko sebelum ni. Apa pun, memang pengalaman yang menarik. Harap Yanie pun dapat rasa satu hari nanti. 🙂
I’ve been wanting to stay in a tree house for a while now! I feel like the moving of the tree house with every movement would make me really nervous though
It’s actually not so bad, Julia. You get used to it after a short while. 🙂
I was all ready to go until you mentioned that you felt the house shake with every little movement. And then the gecko. Nope. It looks lovely, but I am too much of a city person and like to feel like I am on firm ground.
Hahaha, totally understandable, Lynda. I’m a city person too, but I don’t mind a change of scenery every now and then. 😀
I would absolutely love to go to Bali. The tree house seems like a great vacation to disconnect!
True, Venaugh. It’s indeed a great place to stay at if you wish to unplug and disconnect for a bit. I hope you’ll get to visit Bali and the surrounding islands soon. 🙂
Quite an adventurous staycation! Tree house and then the gecko. I would have been scared to death. The food looks yummy. Well, great experience in Nusa Penida. 🙂
Thanks, Jan. I think I would have been really scared too had I been alone. I don’t like reptiles. 🙁 Other than that, it was great!
What a cool experience. Lots of positives despite the influencers. Bali and its islands are on my list to visit when I can finally leave Australia.
The one that I stayed at wasn’t too touristy and didn’t have any so-called influencer trying to take selfies there. I hope things will get better soon so you can visit Bali and the surrounding islands. 🙂
What an interesting place. I hadn’t heard of Nusa Penida before, but I definitely want to explore beyond Bali when I go to Indonesia. It’s too bad that the treehouse you booked wasn’t the one you were expecting, but it sounds like an interesting experience regardless. I would like the solitude as well, and I would be really annoyed to book the most famous one only to have people constantly nearby trying to take pictures.
Yup, this one is pretty secluded, Kevin. So if you want some solitude, this would be the perfect place to go. Everything turned out well in the end and we really enjoyed our stay. 🙂
Ni antara tempat dalam senarai akak nak pergi tahun 2020. Tak sangka dah masuk tahun 2021 ni jangan kata nak ke luar negara nak ke luar daerah pun payah. Tapi syok sangat tengok Ummi stay kat sini. Lagilah kat rumah pokok tu. Memang lagi tinggi lagi best sebab boleh nampak pemandangan yang sangat cantik.
Hmm, sedih kan, kak Saidila, bila semua travel plan kena cancel dalam masa dua tahun ni. Takpe la, ada rezeki nanti boleh pergi sini. 🙂
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